Science and technology news - Page 2

Urban Ranger · May 21, 2003, 22:16

Quote:

Originally posted by elijah
May we exchange something with Noosland for your technology, to save us 3 months of R&D spending?

[OCC]

Nobody reads these posts carefully anymore

[/OCC]

You are welcome to join the region-wide Fusion Research Initiative. We have just recently completed phase II, which is the construction of Apolyton II, a reactor rated at 400 GW. Now we are in phase III, our goal is to build a reactor rated at 8000 GW.

Jack_www · May 21, 2003, 22:25

The USJ will also start using Fusion technology. We will start replacing many of our oil and coal plants with Fusion, the coal plants will be the first to be replaced.
The USJ would like to provide 2 Billion dollars in funding for the next phase of the project.

Whaleboy · May 22, 2003, 05:07

We have dedicated a particle-physics research centre for refining the magnetic containment techniques in this, and are currently building a 1TW reactor as a testbed.

This technology will be very useful for our space programme, which has just received an enormous boost from our Marley-class shuttles....

Urban Ranger · May 22, 2003, 23:13

Quote:

Originally posted by elijah
We have dedicated a particle-physics research centre for refining the magnetic containment techniques in this, and are currently building a 1TW reactor as a testbed.

That's where your problem is. The reactor is too large. You should start small.

Whaleboy · May 23, 2003, 10:34

Ah!! That explains why we lose magnetic containment so easily. There is too much of a delay between plasma pressure rising, and magnetic containment increases kicking in. Had a few *close ones*

.

We will modify the deuterium injectors, thus rating the power down to 150GW. We shall increase this figure when we get the balance right! Thanks for the tip!

Jack_www · May 23, 2003, 13:25

The USJ is now in the early stages of devoloping a new MTB. Our Abrams M1A2 tanks have served our millitary well, but our millitary is demanding that they get a new and improved version of the tank.

Whaleboy · May 24, 2003, 09:23

What does MTB actually mean?

GeneralTacticus · May 24, 2003, 09:24

It's meant to be 'MBT', and it means 'Main Battle Tank'...

Urban Ranger · May 28, 2003, 22:50

With technology acquired from N-RAC, the Nooslandian Institute of Advanced Research, together with a research team from Southwestern University, is able to fabricate a new generation of solar panels on a large scale. These panels require no toxic materials in the manufacturing process, and has an efficiency rating of 40%.

They have also discovered how to make silicon beads (small spheres). These can be used to create flexible panels for wrapping around objects of almost any shape.

Urban Ranger · May 31, 2003, 05:10

Noosland has recently completed the prototype of a new tunnel drilling machine. The revolutionary nature of this machine is it has no drilling heads, instead, it uses high energy ultrasound to break down rocks. This drilling method is much more efficient because much less waste heat is generated, and there are a lot less moving parts requiring constant maintenance.

Whaleboy · May 31, 2003, 14:34

How did you get round the problem of conglomerate rocks, whose constituent parts have a different resonant frequency?

Whaleboy · May 31, 2003, 14:59

How did you get round the problem of conglomerate rocks, whose constituent parts have a different resonant frequency?

Urban Ranger · June 1, 2003, 02:11

Quote:

Originally posted by elijah
How did you get round the problem of conglomerate rocks, whose constituent parts have a different resonant frequency?

We don't use the resonance approach. We just use ultrasound as shockwaves.

Urban Ranger · June 8, 2003, 22:12

The Solar Explorer satellite has successfully completed its mission and is now returning to earth for recovery. It will attempt to establish a low attitude orbit around earth, so it can be taken on board of a space shuttle.

Whaleboy · June 9, 2003, 08:37

We already have three Marley-class shuttles in orbit, we can organise a rendez-vous if you wish.

We are preparing to modify the FSS Marley for a long-range exploration mission to Mars. The ion engines, and good crew, cargo and hydroponics capacity of this class of ship makes it well suited for such a scientific mission.

Urban Ranger · June 21, 2003, 04:11

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Noosland's second phase of conversion is now complete.

The use of fusion power in the Dominion of Noosland is a resounding success. All population centres are now powered by fusion, solar, wind, and hydro. Power generation has been decentralised. Megapolitan power grids were all dismantled. All firing plants were dismantled. All power generation nuclear plants were decomissioned.

The savings in maintenance has been enormous, while decentralised power generation provides a high degree of redundancy in the system. Large amounts of cheap power drives industrial automation, adoption of technology, recycling, and cleansing of the environment.

Whaleboy · June 21, 2003, 08:36

New Marijuania also supports success in full conversion to fusion power. The rest of the LF will use this as a model for rolling out this technology.

All of our warships and space ships have been converted to nuclear fusion, and as soon as any sub comes back to port, the new fusion generators will be installed.

Whaleboy · June 21, 2003, 08:38

The FSS Marley has returned from Mars, having orbited that planet for 4 days conducting extensive mapping, atmospheric sampling and geo-magnetic surveys. We shall use that information in a project soon to send a modified Marley class shuttle to Mars, to put a man on that planet.

Urban Ranger · June 21, 2003, 11:57

Quote:

Originally posted by elijah
All of our warships and space ships have been converted to nuclear fusion, and as soon as any sub comes back to port, the new fusion generators will be installed.

There are some practical difficulties in putting fusion reactors on smaller ships (definitely destroyers and below plus subs, and possibly crusiers) and spaceships. Have you found ways to overcome those?

Urban Ranger · June 21, 2003, 12:05

Noosland wants to know if the LF is interested in cooperating in sending a manned missiion to Mars.

Also today, Noosland has successfully launched Jupiter Exlporer, which will investigate the fifth planet of the solar system and its four large Galilean Moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Whaleboy · June 22, 2003, 18:40

Quote:

There are some practical difficulties in putting fusion reactors on smaller ships... Have you found ways to overcome those?

Yes.... smaller reactors

jk. Small reactors can work if they temporarily overload themselves, instead of producing a steady stream of energy. In that respect, by intermittently producing small bursts of energy that can be stored in capacitance banks, we can simulate the effect of steady DC energy generation on smaller ships.

The LF is most certainly interested (ooc, I'll prepare the groundwork for a thread on the topic over next couple of days), we are planning to use a modified Marley class shuttle with the weapons systems removed, extra engines, sensors, fuel and aux vehicle capability added. We can send you the plans for you to look over, and a joint crew would be a fantastic idea!

Whaleboy · June 25, 2003, 07:38

We are beginning work on the shuttle modifications, and estimate that the mission will take place in a few months. We want to make a departure with other space exploratatory missions by using this flight to investigate the effects of long term missions, as such, our shuttle will be taking the long route! It will be a perfect opportunity to study the effects of solar radiation.

(ooc: sorry this has to be done)

In other scientific news, we are sending a probe to uranus to investigate the composition of its gaseous rings.

Whaleboy · June 25, 2003, 07:41

Our primary shipyard on Marijuania has finished construction of a floating launch platform, with which rockets and shuttles can be launched without expensive land-based launch sites, and can take advantage of placement at the equator, where centripetal force is greatest, thus least fuel required to send something into orbit.

All orbits can benefit from this technology, we are planning an additional 5 of these ships, and are available for loaning out to other nations.

At the moment, all of our launches on these platforms are escorted by the LF navy for security reasons.

Urban Ranger · June 25, 2003, 11:20

Noosland Institute of Advanced Research today announces yet another breakthrough in photovoltaics. A new generation of solar panels, created by combining amorphous silicon and black silicon, has an effective conversion rate of 50%. New panels will be first made for the Apolyton Space Station.

Whaleboy · June 25, 2003, 11:24

Would Noosland be interested in collaborating on a project to utilise the stormy weather conditions in New Marijuania for power generation? As that nation is effectively a plasma (lightening) storm for 100 days a year, there is a tremendous amount of energy being released in the form of lightening. We are working on ways to utilise this, and Nooslands expertise in ..exotic methods of power generation would come in handy.

Urban Ranger · June 25, 2003, 22:28

That sounds very challenging.

Archaic · June 26, 2003, 05:46

If viable plans for such a project could be made, several Alecrast firms would no doubt wish to invest.

GeneralTacticus · June 26, 2003, 06:28

After years of discussion, argument, and repeated design failures, the Centralis Public Research Institute (CPRI) has finally succeeded in producing a working prototype fusion reactor to generate power for Centralis. Following the completion of this project, the government anounced it's intention to begin dismantling older forms of power generation and replace them with fusion reactors, producing a plan for this expected to take between five and ten years. Reforms in neighbouring Noosland are believed to have been an important inspiration behind these plans.

Whaleboy · June 26, 2003, 11:52

Our scientists have determined that key to the lightening project is stimulating a discharge, which would otherwise be essentially random, by sending up a contact close to the cloud. This can then feed the charge back into a large capacity, whereupon the DC can be used. The high and regular degree of storms on New Marijuania make it perfect for this.

It is highly experimental technology, but we are preparing a demonstration in Newer Amsterdam University, representatives from all that are interested, including investors, are very welcome to come.

Urban Ranger · June 27, 2003, 02:11

Noosland Institute of Advanced Research (NIAR) today announces the completion of preliminary studies on the properties of InN, InP and their alloys. Some of these hold great promises for a new generation of semiconductors.